Accidents Helpline cold caller told me to get fucked!

They are calling us all the time. We have tried everything - humour, politeness, hanging up. This time I just lost it, and told the guy " I don't know how to impress on you that we don't want you calling. We don't even have a car. Please put your boss on the line so I can get my message across". To which he replied "Fuck you!", and hung up.

I googled and there is a company that has accident helpline as their website but also refers to Accident Compensation Helpline. Not sure if this is the same company as they claim they never cold call. I've copied and pasted from the contact us page.

If this is the company or you track down the right one you can complain in writing and ask for a payment for your distress (at the cold calling and swearing) and inconvenience (being intruded on at home and then being forced to complain to them - £50 to £100 would seem fair.

Claims management companies are regulated by the Ministry of Justice who pay be interested to hear of the tactics employed.

Head Office:

Suite 210 Queens House, Queen Street, Barnstaple, EX32 8HJ

Registered Office:

69 High Street, Bideford, EX39 2AT Company registered in England and Wales No 5311328

Accident Compensation Helpline is committed to providing the highest standards of service at all times, but if you are not happy with our service we would like you to let us know about your concerns, please see our Complaints Procedure.

Accident Compensation Helpline does not do cold calling under any circumstance.

Update - I can report that Accidents Helpline are still calling us all the time, and no amount of pleading, humour or stern warnings will convince them to delete our number from their list as we DON'T HAVE A CAR. I had one more guy hanging up on me recently, and another one telling me that I shouldn't complain as they are "just doing their job". I replied "really? So the 'Fuck You' bit, is that part of your script?"

And yet they keep calling, so I've come here for a refresher on your techniques. There are so gems here - I may print this thread and keep by the phone

My grandad use to keep them on the phone and try to sell them things from his house (plants normally), he always found it funny when they are trying to get off the phone and trying to explain why they don't want to buy anything.

Did you do the things suggested down thread? Remove your details from 192.com etc Also call them on 01536 486218 (this is a Kettering, UK, dialling code which is where the company is based) and tell them to remove ALL your details from ALL their databases and inform them that they do not have your permission to call you. Insist that they confirm that they have done so. I got this number from the privacy part of their website.

You have to be proactive about nuisance calls. I follow up any I recieve and now I barely get any. It seems a bit OTT but it works.

I just got one of these - supposedly from Accident Helpline, but know from searching the web that they are NOT from Accident helpline, as they don't cold call. I told the 'foreign' chap that I knew they weren't from accident helpline as they didn't cold call and he just hung up.Constantly getting the ones from the Microsoft scam, unfortunately TPS cannot do anything about these calls as they originate from outside UK. I am looking into getting a phone that does not allow calls from withheld numbers (which these all are).

get Caller ID and don't pick up from any number you do not recognise. Also, if the call is from a "number witheld" phone, then the caller ID will say so. It's really simple and has made life a lot easier--I work from home and the calls used to drive me mad.

I heard a really funny response the other day. My friend's sister (she has been getting very annoyed by the volume of calls). They started the spiel and asked her for name or whatever - she responded 'Ooooooooooo'. (in woo voice not sexy voice). Then to every attempt to get her to tell them anything she varied between 'Oooooooo' 'Eeeeeeeee' 'Whaaaaaaaa' 'Ammmmmmm' and similar. They eventually hung up, no swearing, think they thought it simply wasn't worth it - I don't think they were sure they were even through to a human being.

It sounded so funny when she told it. I can see now her sitting patiently trying not to laugh going 'Oooooooooooo' down the phone.

Yup pharm, if I don't recognise a number on my mobile - I never answer. Never. Never have. I rarely get selling calls...Don't know whether this helps, that they ring so often and genuinely remove your number from the list if there is NEVER an answer.

Similar thing happened to me with a British Gas person trying to sell me something. I told him, politely, that I didn't require the item and he got very rude indeed. I was having a bad day anyway, and it really upset me. I told him that he was being very rude and would report him. I did report him and got a letter back apologising for this man's behaviour and was told he was being 'retrained' - hope he got fired.

I've found that if you ask for the name of the company, some of them (not all) get twitchy and know they're about to be reported to TPS so they back off and don't call any more.

I now only have one repeated call, I think it's from one company pretending to be others, they all have vague names like Government Awareness Service ("I'm aware of the Government thank you", "No you're not!") or the Insulation Information Centre. Tbh it's pointless engaging, I just terminate the call as soon as I realise.

Have I named and shamed to the TPS? No, but I did intend to. I found that the more 'legit' companies realised what I was doing, most of them asked "Are you going to report us to the TPS?" and then there were no more repeat calls.

Now I'm just down to the ones who announce their made up name from the get go. There's no point reporting because it doesn't actually exist and TPS can't do anything anyway.

Bumply DH once did that with a conservatory cold call. He went as far as setting up the appointment, then when the time came for the address and the caller was counting his commission, he gave the local high rise tower block and instructions for which lift to use